D-Day on American Idol - Ruben Studdard Performs!

The final chapter of The Tale of Two Davids will be written tonight. Who will win the hearts and minds of the ultimate judges of this heated contest? Who will thrill us with their best effort to date? Who will Randy, Paula, and Simon endorse? Who will be the next...American Idol!?!

Will it be the highly-polished, adorable youngster with the excellent voice and consistently powerful, if slightly predictable, performances?

Or will it be the less-polished but highly-talented young man who continues to blow our minds with original and stunning performances? Will his greater life experience outweigh Archuleta's disciplined but narrower focus on developing his talent?

I considered speculating on which David would become a Goliath, in the sense of becoming the giant in the competition, but then realized that Goliath lost the competition with David, so that won't work (just forget I brought it up).

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Ah. The Davids are presented as boxers in the ultimate competition.

From the applause, it sounds like Archuleta has the majority in the audience response elicited by Ryan.

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Clive Davis' picks:

Cooke: 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' - Great song, and Cooke runs with it, extending notes in all the right place, making it his own. He also gets into the audience, making them his own, as well. The last note was a daring glissando which worked well. Randy liked "D.C." Paula said she'd found what she was looking for. Simon called it phenomenal.

Archuleta: 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' - A tough song with big shoes to fill. He starts sitting, so you know he's gonna try and bring it. He's very good, but I don't personally think he quite manages to fill those shoes. Randy calls it flawless. Paula got chills. Simon says it's the best he's done so far, and gives him round one. I could be off, I suppose.


Songwriting Competition - Contestant's Choice:

Cooke: - 'Dream Big' - An upbeat anthem which Cooke sings and performs like he wrote it. He nails an extended end note. Randy likes the performance over the song. Paula appreciated it. Simon calls it "lightweight." I agree with Randy, and I don't think it hurt him any.

Archuleta: - A ballad whose name I didn't catch- 'No One Can Take It From Me'? - No surprise that he chooses a ballad - a safe choice, or a wise one, at this point? The song is better than Cooke's choice, for me, and David handles it very nicely. Randy reiterates that he could sing the phone book. Paula loved it. Simon agrees it was the better song, though with egotistical lyrics, and gives Archuleta round two, as well. I'm a little surprised at that move, and Archuleta has a look of utter disbelief that he actually voiced such a potentially influential compliment. Given what Simon said on Ellen Degeneres, it makes me wonder, as well. Is he throwing the overall fight, or just giving his opinion of tonight's competition?


Personal Picks:

Cooke: 'It's A World I Know'? - The guitar work is excellent. He holds back his power and focuses on tenderness, getting tearful at the end. Randy and Paula loved it. Simon notes it was the wrong song at this point in the competition, however beautiful the performance.

Archuleta: 'Imagine' - A repeat of his most memorable performance. This typifies his approach of taking fewer risks and focusing on his most polished skills. Naturally, he is brilliant. Randy names him the winner. Paula calls it stunning. Again, the audience seems weighted for him. Simon gives him a win with a knockout.

On the recaps, I noticed a glaringly flat note I missed first time around on Cooke's first song. I noticed a lesser glitch in Archuleta's last song.


Winner?: From the judges' feedback and the audience's cheering, it seems clear they both favor Archuleta, and I can't fault their logic or enthusiasm, but for me, these are two performers who are equal but different in their strengths. If I had to vote, I might favor Archuleta for his consummate discipline and consistent skills. Cooke could use some of that. On the other hand, Cooke has demonstrated a continual ability to astonish me with the depth and breadth of his talent, awareness, and heart. I won't be surprised or upset if either one wins, but all the signs point to Archuleta.

See you at the finale!